Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 138: First Fan

In Hope's bright and determined eyes, Renly felt a bit embarrassed, his heart pounding wildly in his chest with no outlet for release.

It wasn't just because Hope's fervent gaze made him feel like one of the characters from "Twilight"; it was also because of Hope's unwavering words that conveyed absolute trust and affirmation, weighing heavily on his chest, even more so than an Emmy trophy.

"Wow," Renly sighed softly, trying to clear his mind and find his voice again. "Thank you. I guess this is why so many people love Los Angeles?" A joke that brought Renly back to life, the overwhelming feeling in his chest tugging at the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"We were originally planning to show it to you on the red carpet, but those 'Big Bang Theory' fans rudely took my spot. My God, they were so wild!" Hope complained bluntly, her excitement at being close to Renly causing her to jump around, words spilling out uncontrollably. "We thought we wouldn't see you today, but here you are, giving us a huge surprise! Jesus Christ, your singing is amazing."

Hope's words suddenly stopped, as if her brain had gone blank for a moment. "Ah, it's really amazing!" But she couldn't think of any other adjectives, feeling like she was back in kindergarten. "It completely made my day. Those annoying fans are nothing!"

"Haha," Renly laughed heartily, infected by Hope's excitement. "I was quite happy watching from the red carpet, seeing a sea of Sheldons was quite a spectacle." Renly's joke left Hope looking frustrated, while William and Graham laughed along. "So, besides this, is there anything else I can do to save your terrible day?"

"No, no," Hope waved her hands repeatedly. "That song just now was the best gift... Wait, if, I mean, if you could sign an autograph for me, that would be even better." As soon as she said it, Hope bit her tongue and immediately tried to change her tone.

The two friends holding the banner quickly followed suit, nodding like bobbleheads.

"Of course, no problem," Renly readily agreed. He watched as Hope fumbled in her backpack, pulling out a carbon pen and a poster. When she unfolded it, it turned out to be his character poster from "The Pacific." But she didn't stop there; she pulled out another poster, this one notebook-sized, which was the cover of "Cleopatra." "You're like Doraemon. What else do you have in your backpack?"

"Nothing more for now. I hope you release new works soon so I can continue collecting. Like that 'Ophelia' song just now." Hope playfully winked, making Renly laugh.

Renly took the pen and the posters. "To whom should I sign it?" he asked, still a bit unsure. "This is my first time signing an autograph, so I'm not very familiar with the process."

"Shut up!" Hope exclaimed in disbelief, and William and Graham's eyes widened. "No way it's the first time! Absolutely impossible!"

The first time with the flight attendant, she had only asked for a photo, not an autograph. "Actually, you guys are technically the second fans I've met," Renly thought seriously. The first wasn't the flight attendant, but someone else.

After returning from Europe, he received his first fan letter. In the letter, the writer detailed their feelings about watching "The Pacific" and talked about the impact of the song "Cleopatra." They ended the letter with, "You're an amazing person, moving forward on the path of dreams. Being able to accompany you and have you be part of my life is the most romantic thing I can imagine."

The letter was from Heather Cross. She didn't sign her name, but the postmark gave away the source. A call to Mount Sinai Hospital confirmed it quickly.

Thinking about the pink letter, Renly's smile grew. "I don't think I'm an attention-grabbing actor, but let's hope things change for the better soon."

His self-deprecating yet humorous comment made Hope and her friends laugh. Renly looked at the poster, thought for a moment, placed it against the wall, and quickly wrote, "When everyone praises Hamlet, when everyone laments for justice, deep in memory, there will always be someone who remembers Ophelia. Thank you for your encouragement. I won't forget my Ophelia."

He paused and then signed his name in the bottom right corner, "Renly Hall." Turning to Hope, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Hope Bates," she replied loudly, watching as Renly wrote her name in the top left corner, completing the autograph. He then signed the smaller "Cleopatra" poster, which Hope had printed herself, as the high-quality image was not available on iTunes.

Renly handed both posters back to Hope, then turned to the two boys. "And you guys?"

Hope looked down at the posters in her hands, admiring Renly's elegant handwriting, contrasting the stereotype that handsome men have bad penmanship. She couldn't help but smile, knowing these were Renly's first autographs. Seeing the dedication made it all the more special.

William brought out posters of "The Pacific" and "Band of Brothers," while Graham handed over the banner. Renly signed both, making the three young fans ecstatic.

Renly put the pen cap back on and returned it to Hope. He noticed Ed, who had been hesitating nearby, and approached him. "So, how did we do tonight?"

Ed breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worrying about how to start the conversation. "We made a total of four hundred seventy-six dollars." Ed counted all the earnings, including what he had made earlier. He knew that without Renly, they wouldn't have earned so much.

Renly looked at the stack of bills and coins in Ed's hands, surprised. "Looks like we did well tonight." It was unexpected; they had only performed two songs. "So, where's my share?"

Ed smiled, relieved that Renly didn't look down on the money and treated him as an equal. "Here it is." Ed separated a stack of bills and handed it to Renly. "Wait!" He then poured all the coins from his left hand into Renly's palm.

"What about yours?" Renly asked.

"Oh, this isn't all the coins." Ed moved aside, revealing the guitar case filled with coins. Renly smiled broadly. Ed wiped the sweat from his hands, having given Renly two hundred fifty dollars. Though he knew it was still unfair, as most of the money was due to Renly, he added a little extra to show his sincerity.

Renly nodded. "Looks like I should come out more often at night." His humorous tone made Ed laugh. "Ed, it was great playing with you tonight." Ed tensed up again, shaking his head, smiling awkwardly, and nervously fixing his hair, which only got messier. "I hope we can perform together again in the future."

"Of course! Absolutely!" Ed jumped lightly, trying to suppress his urge to scream. He had made over two hundred dollars tonight, and with his savings, he could soon afford the trip to New York. If it were just him, he wouldn't have made so much on his own. This was the best news!

"I have to attend a party now. You know, everyone is waiting for my appearance," Renly joked, making everyone laugh. "But, for such an event, the suit must be wrinkle-free. So, Ed, could you do me a favor?"

"What?" Ed blurted out.

Renly raised the cash and coins in his hand. "Could you keep these safe for me? Next time we meet, you can give them back?" Ed was stunned. "We just met today, so I'm not sure if I can trust you. I've counted them, so you better not get any ideas."

"No problem," Ed's voice choked up. He knew Renly was considering his pride and dignity, supporting him in this way. With these two hundred fifty dollars, he could head to New York tomorrow or the next day. But he still had to return this money to Renly, didn't he? "Of course, no problem."

Ed nodded vigorously, hiding his tears, though his slightly red eyes gave away his true emotions. "I'll personally deliver it to New York. You can count on me."

"Thanks a lot." Renly carefully placed the cash and coins into Ed's hands. "Phew, that solves a big problem for me. Thanks a lot!"

"Renly, Renly, are you heading to the celebration party now?" A stranger's voice suddenly interrupted, catching everyone's attention.

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Just 100 more powerstones for a bonus Chapter!!